Steam garment-pressing machine.



T. D..PALIVIER.

STEAM GARMENT PRESSING MACHINE.`

APPLlcATloN FILED DEc.18.l911.

1,154,799. PatentedSept. 28, 1915.

4 SHEETS-SHED 1,

T. D. PALMER.

STEAM GARMENT PRESSING MACHINE.

APPLICATIONFILED DEC. 18. |911. 1,154,799. Pmemedsept. 2s, 19

4 suny-SHEET 2.

EN.. uw. MME

attorney T. D. PAMI/H53.v 4STEANI GARMENT .PRESS'ING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. I8. I9II.'

Patented Sept. 28, 1915.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

la Sneeuw@ @M wwf...

T. D. PALMER.

STEAM GARMENT PRESSING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED 05u18. I9II. Y 1,154,799. PntvntedSept.. 28, 1915.

' 4 sHEEIs-sHEEI 4 l@ z 27 zz NLP *N attenua/11 UNITED STATES PATENTFFICE.

THEODORE D. PALMER, OETSYRACUSE, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO T. D. PALMERCOMPANY, 0F SX'YRACUSE, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION.

STEAM GARMENT-PRESSING MACHINE,

Application tiled December 18, 1911'.

T0 all 107mm. it lmay vanvera Be it known that I, THEoDonE D. PALMER, ofSyracuse, in the county of Onondaga, in the State of vNew York, haveinvented new and useful Improvements in- Steam Garment-PressingMachines, of which the following, taken in connection with theaccompanying drawings, is a full, clear, and exact description.

4This invention relates to certain improvements in fabric pressingmachines, and while it is more particularly adapted for pressing newlymade knit garments such as underwear and the like preparatory tomarketing, it may be used with equal eiiiciency in pressing othergarments and fabrics. In pressing these garments or fabrics, it isnecessary first, to smooth the garment out upon the supporting bed orbuck and, second, to bring the pressing elements into pressing positionupon the garment orA fabric, each operation requiring about the samelength of time.

The main object, therefore, is to enable two operators to do the work ofsmoothing and pressing the garments or fabric upon the same machinewithout loss of time or interfering with each other, or in other wordsto enable each operator to perform each operation of smoothing thegarment and pressing it in such manner that while one operator issmoothing the garment out upon one supporting bed, the other operator issubjecting another previously smoothed garment to moisture andmechanical pressure.

Another object is to bring the pressing elements to their pressingpositions under fluid pressure, preferably steam-derived from thesamasource as that which is employed to moisten the garment.

A further object is to apply the steam in such manner as to avoidexcessive saturation' of the garment while under mechanical pres'- sureand at the same time to utilize the heat of the steam inthe pressingelements for substantially drying the garment while under such pressure,thereby completing the work of moistening, pressing and drying thegarment in a single operation so that they may be stacked and boxed forstorage or transportation immediately upon coming from the machine. A

A still further object is to provide the machine with duplicate sets ofcontrolling de- Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 218, 1915.

Serial No. 666,452.

vices for controlling the operation of the -movable pressing elementsand supplying being moved under the steaming head in Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is atransverse vertical sectional view taken on line 1 -4, Fig. l. Fig. 5 isa horizontal sectional View of the same machine taken on line 5 5, Fig.3. Fig. 6 is a top plan partly insection of the stationary press head.Fig. 7 is an inverted plan partly in section of one of the garmentsupporting beds. Figs. 8, 9, 10, l1 and l2 are enlarged detail sectionalviews taken respectively on lines 8 8 and 9 9, Fig. 6; 10-10, Fig. 7 andn n, Fig. 4, and 12 12, Fig. 6. Fig. 13 is a longitudinal sectional viewthrough the superheater.

As shown in the drawings, this machine comprises a main supporting frame1 upon which are mounted a stationary pressing element 2 and duplicatesliding pressing elements 3 and 3 the latter being movable alongsuitable Ways or guides 1- to and from a position directly under thestationary pressing element Q and also having an independent verticalmovement for pressing coaction with the stationary element 2 The frame 1comprises opposite upright end plates or standards 5- spaced asufficient distance apart to receive between them the slidable pressingelements 3- ,and 3' and are rigidly connected at the bottom by a crossbar or plate 6 having intermediate upright standards 7 and diagonalbraces 8 the latter being eX- tended upwardly from the intermediateportions of the plate 6 in inclined planes and secured to the endstandards 5 to stifenthe bottom plate and standards vagainst any strainsto which they maybe subjected and also to hold the standards 8 inoperative position, the entire frame being made of cast metal.

The main body of the pressing element Q preferably consists of a hollowcast metal plate of suitable Width extending from end to end of the mainsupporting frame and secured by suitable fastening means as bolts *9- tothe upper' edges of the end standards -5- a sufficient distance abovethe plane of the beds -3- and -3- to permit the latter to move freelythereunder and serve to additionally brace the standards -5- againstlateral or torsional strains, thereby reinforcing the main supportingframe. This pressing element -2 is also provided with non-communicatingcompartments -10- and -11- disposed in planes one above the other, theupper compartment constituting what may be termed a heating chamber,while the lower compartment constitutes what may be termed a steamdistributing chamber and isprovided with a perforated bottom or pressplate #-12- normally covered by a press cloth -13- to distribute thesteam more evenly over the entire surface of the garment.

The pressing element or head -2 is substantially flat and shallow andtherefore the compartments -10- and l1-s are also shallow vertically,said head being provided vwith an additional heating chamber M runningalong its upper longitudinal center for super-heating the steam. K

Normal steam may be supplied from any source through a pipe l5- to thesuperheater -14.-. said pipe being provided with a normally open valve-lfclose t0 the superheatel; and adapted to be closed to cut off thesupply of stealn when necessary for repairs to the superheater or otherparts of the machine.

The superheated steam is conducted from one end of the superheater by apipe -17- to the chamber 10q for maintaining stealn therein to keep thepressing element Q4- heated at a constant temperature, the pipe -Albeingalso provided with a normally open valve -18- adapted to be closed whennecessary for repairs or other requirements.

The superheated steam is also supplied from the same superheater to thedistributing chamber -11 from which it is diffused through theperforated plate F12- and press clot-h -13- over the surface of thegarment during the pressing operation and in order that the admission ofthe steam to the chamber 11- may be controlled from either side of themachine by either operator, I have provided opposite sides of thesuperheater with additional delivery.

pipes -19- leading from the central portions of opposite sides thereofand connected by separate distributing heads or pipes 20- and -20-extending length- Wise of the pressing element -2- at opposite sides ofthe superheater and in opposite directions from their respectivedelivery pipes -19- and -19-, the opposite ends the corresponding valve-21 and delivery pipe -19- for positively shutting on' the steam whennecessary, each of the valves 2lbeing provided with a hand lever -23operable at will each independently of the other for controlling thefiow of the superheated steam to the chamber 1l- In like manner thebranches of the opposite distributing pipe -20- are provided withseparate self-closing valves -21- and normally open valvesv-22- locatedbetween the corresponding valves -21- and delivery pipe 19- forpermitting the superheated steam to be positively cut off when desired,each of the valves -21- heilig provided with a hand lever .-23- adapted4to be opened at will to admitrthe superheated steam to the chamber-11--.

y It is now apparent that each operator has under his control a pair ofself-closing valveseach operable independently of the other foradmitting steam to either or both ends of the chamber -1l-, and in` somecases the chamber -11- may be divided transversely by a partition -24-into separate compartments so as to permit the application of steam tothe garment at either end of the pressing element -2- without admittingsteam to the other end thereof, thereby economizing in the use of steamwhen working upon small garments.

Each of the garment supporting beds or bucks -3- and 3- is movable byhand into and out of a position directly under or in vertical alinementwith the fixed pressing element -2- and in order that this movement maybe effected with a minimum power, the opposite ends of ea'ch bed areprovided withpendant flanges ,-25- having lengthwise slots `26- forreceiving the reduced ends -27- of suitable roller bearings -28 whichride along and upon the track --1-, thus providing differential rollerbearing connections between each sliding bed and the main supportingframe of the machine to reduce friction and permit the beds to be easilymoved back and forth with a minimum amount of power, the outer end ofeach head being provided with a handle -30- by which it may bemanipulated.

The tracks or ways lextend laterally a distance beyond the oppositeedges of the pressing element -2 corresponding to the transverse Widthof said pressing elements so that when the garment supporting beds aredrawn outwardly their entire upper surface is exposed, such outwardmovement bein'g limited by yielding buffers or stops -31- on the outerends of the tracks lt In order that the tracks may be properly supportedagainst undue vibration or bending under the load of the beds -3- and-3-, they are connected to the main frame by braces -32- consisting oftie rods having their upper ends passed through suitable brackets -33-on the ends of the tracks -4- and provided with nuts 34- by which thebraces may be tightened.

The garment supporting beds -3- and -3- are'duplicates, each beingsubstantially co-extensive in area with that of the pressing elements-2- with which it is adapted to coperate, and consists of a hollow,substantially flat cast metal plate,

having one or more steam chambers-35, to which superheated steam issupplied from one end of the heating chamber 10- of the pressing element-2 for heating the bed and drying the garment.

In order that both of the supporting beds may be heated from the samesource, I provide a single steam pipe -36- leading from the upper sideof one end of the steam chamber -10- and extended downwardly at one endof the head -2-, where it is connected with branch pipes -37-, eachhaving' a flexible portion -38- connected to the under sides of thesteam chambers 35- of the garment supporting beds, near one end so as topermit said beds to move freely back and forth to and from a positionunder the press head -2- without straining any portions of theconnections between the press head and garment supporting beds.

Directly under and some distance belowv the press head Q, and also belowthe plane ofimovement of the garment supporting beds, is a vertically.movably lifting plate or head -40- mounted upon the upper end of areciprocatory piston -41-, which is movable in a cylinder 42- and isadapted to be operated by steam pressure admitted to the lower end ofsaid cylinder, for lifting either of the garment supporting beds, whichmay be in pressing position, into pressing cooperation with the presshead -Q-t For this purpose the superheated steam is taken from thesuperheater -14- through a single pipe "-43- and delivered into branchpipes I4-1 arrangedon opposite sides of the machine and discharging intothe lower end of the cylinder 42%.

Each branch pipe is provided with a valve -46- within easy reachingdistance of the operator at that particular side of the machine, so thateither operator may control at will the admission of steam to saidcylinder, thereby controlling the operation of the piston and garmentsupporting bed operated thereby, said branch pipes being also providedwith additional normally open valves -47-, adapted to be closed whennecessary to cut off the supply of steam to the cylinder.

It is-now clear that, although the valves -16- are normally closed andthe piston is normally in its extreme down position, the opening of avalve-#Miallows steam to force the piston iO into lifting engagementwith the garment supporting bed which may be in position for pressing,thereby forcing said bed into pressing co-action with the head -L-. Inreverse manner, after ythe garment has been subjected to pressure, thegarment supporting bed may be lowered so as to rest upon the track 4- byrelieving the pressure in the cylinder 4Q- and in order that eitheroperator may control the release, I provide a pair of relief pipes -50-,connected at one end to the lower end of the cylinder 42- and havingtheir opposite ends connected to a common relief or drain pipe -51-, theintermediate portions of these pipes -50- being provided with normallyclosed valves -52-, one for each operator, said valves beiner oaenedafter each ressinff o erationto relieve the pressure under the pistonand thereby permit said piston and garment supporting bed to return totheir normal positions, the pressure iiuid being discharged through therelief pipe 50,- and thence into the drain pipe -51-, said pipes -50-being also provided with additional normally open valves -53- adapted tobe closed at will to retain more or less pressure in the cylinder whendesired.

The water of condensation which may accumulate in the chamber 35- ofeither of the bucks -3- and'-3-, may be withdrawn at will throughflexible pipes 54- leading from the under sides of said bucks near oneend thereof, to a common drain pipe -55-, which may, if necessary, beconnected to the drain pipe 5l- It is apparent from the foregoingdecontrol a pair of levers or valves for con-v trolling the liftingoperation of the buck, and that in order to accomplish this result onevalve is opened when the other is closed, that is, for example, when itis desired to lift the buck to its pressing position, the relief valveis closed and the pressure valveis opened, while, on the other hand, topermit the piston and buck to return, the relief valve is opened and thepressure valve is closed, both operations taking place simultaneously,in'which case the. pressure Huid will be forced by the weight of thepiston downwardly through the pipe -50- and into the drain pipe 5l- Inoperation, assuming that the movable parts of the machine are ink theirnormal positions, with one of the garment supporting beds in position toreceive a garment, as shown in Figs. l and 4, and that the other bed,with a garment thereon, is under the press head, or rather between thepress head and piston head, ready to be forced into pressing co-actionwith said head, Whereupon the operator controlling this last named bedwill open the valve -land simultaneously close the valve 52-, therebycutting ofi' the pressure-relief and admitting steam pressure to thepiston to raise the latter and the superposed bed into pressingco-action with the head, when in this position the same operator mayopen one or both of the steam supply valves 21- for an instant, justsufficient to admit a proper amount of moisture to the surface of thegarment in contact with the under side of the press head, therebyslightly softening said garment, without saturation, to facilitate andexpedite the perfect pressing of the garment, after which the valve -46-may be closed and the valve -52- may be opened to cut off the pressurefluid and to open the relief for the piston to the drain pipe -51- toallow the return of the bed and piston to normal positions.

It is evident from the foregoing description that steam may be diffusedfrom the,

press head over a garment on the underlying buck before the latter isforcedto its pressingposition for the purpose of smoothing such garmentpreparatory to pressing, as

for example when it is desired to impart a polished surface to thegarment, in which case the press cloth may be omitted to permit the useof the polished metal pressplate directly upon the garment vwithoutusing steam" during the What I claim is 1. In a steam clothes pressingmachine, a stationary press-head having a perforated press-plate and asuper-posed steam chamber, separate non-rotatable bucks movable to andfrom a position under the press plate and each provided with a steamchamber, and luid-pressure-operated means for raising either buck intopressing coaction with the press head.

2. In a steam clothes pressing machine, a press head and anunderlyngbuck both disposed in substantially horizontal planes and each providedwith a steam chamber, one of the pressing elements being slidable intoand out of registration with the other, pipe connections between thesteam chambers, and iluid-pressure-operated means for moving one of suchelements into pressing coaction with the other element when registeringwith each other. In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand on this2nd day of November 1911.

THEODORE D. PALMER. Witnesses:

H. E. CHASE, E. F. SPEARING.

pressing operation.

